The Fifth Wheel
by FrenchFrySplash
Summary: Oh dear. A lost Ancient ship, an orb of mysterious origin, and another member of SG1? This could get interesting...
1. Prologue

Ok, so this is my first Stargate Fanfic...not first fanfic per se...but first_Stargate_ fanfic. The Prlogue is really short, and to be honest I'd like to upload Chapter 1 as well...but I'm not sure if I will. We'll see, I guess.

Anyway, Disclaimer: Stargate SG-1 does not belong to me. I am simply borrowing it to bend to my every whim. Well, maybe not _every_ whim...And Bridget Darrow is My character, so, if for any particular reason you would like to use her...Please ask me first. I think that's it, actually. So just sit back and enjoy the show!

**Prologue**

Are you an SG-1 fan?

The fact that you're reading this indicates that, yes, you are indeed a fan of Stargate SG-1. Which means you probably know everything about it. Ok, maybe not _everything_…but the basics. Like, the members of SG-1. I bet you can name them in a heartbeat. The leader, Colonel Jack O'Neill, the archeologist, Dr. Daniel Jackson, the astrophysicist/Air Force Major Samantha Carter, and the alien, Teal'c.

Seems pretty complete, eh?

Seems like there's not much room for another member, eh?

Well, guess what.

Not only is that proved wrong by the tenth season, but it was wrong anyway. There's one more member of SG-1. One more person who saves the world, hates the Goa'uld, is ever so slightly creeped out by the Tok'ra, and that person is pretty angry that she was left out.

I bet you know who that person is.

Yep.

That's right.

Me.

Bridget Darrow.

I don't know why they left me out. They just did. Maybe, it's because my position on the team isn't entirely clear. I'm not an archeologist, a scientist, an alien, or a grumpy old Air Force Officer. In fact, until about 8 years ago I was pretty Gosh-darn normal. It was when that stupid orb thingamajig fell into my apartment…

Anyway, I'm getting ahead of myself. Since the writer of the show decided to leave not only my story, but also my entire character, out, I thought I'd tell you how I came to be. And I don't mean_that_. Gees, get your mind out of the gutter, will ya? I mean how I came to be on SG-1. It's a pretty good story. It begins on a dark night and stormy night...


	2. The Sky is Falling!

Thank you Lakewater. I'm very pleased you find it interesting.

Ok, this takes place sometime in season 2, after The Fifth Race...And actually, I didn't even think about that name when I wrote this. I'm hope you enjoy it!

**Chapter 1: The Sky is Falling!  
**

Well, maybe not that stormy, ok, just a little rain. Oh, all right, someone had left their hose on in an upstairs apartment. I was just coming home from a work. The stars twinkled above me in the sky as I paused to look up to see which apartment had left their hose on, so I could report them to management. It was the one directly below mine. Figures, they were idiots at the best of times, and this was Saturday, the day of beer and drunkenness.

I let myself in to the building, said "Hi" to the night guard, and made my way over to the elevator. Before I could press the button, though, the night guard stopped me.

"It's broken," he called, from his post next to the door.

"What?" I asked incredulously. "It was working this morning!"

"Talk to maintenance," shrugged the guard. "Someone's broken it."

"Whatever," I sighed. Grumbling about randomly broken down elevators and what should be down to the maintenance who allow it, I opened the door to the stairs. Now, unfortunately, my apartment was at the top of the building. Which meant climbing up thirty floors-ok, twenty-OK, five floors to the top. Still, tired and weary as I already was, climbing up to the top of my building was not something I had planned on doing. Which explained why, when I did arrive at my apartment, I conked out immediately on my bed.

My apartment, as you know, was on the top floor of my building. I mean, like, _the_ top. It was sort of between the actual top floor, and the roof. Small, cramped, and perfect for one person, I'd inherited it from my Grandmother after she'd died when I was 18. The thing I loved most about my apartment was the skylight that opened onto the roof. Technically, I'm not supposed to go up there…but who's going to catch me? Nobody really comes on the roof anyway.

So there I was, unconscious on the bed, still dressed, with drool coming out of my mouth. Charming. I was like that for a while, until a bright light shining through the skylight hit my face.

At first, I thought it was the sun. But when I opened my eyes, I found it was too un-natural to be the sun, plus, it was only 5:00 in the morning. I sat up, and squinted out the skylight, shielding my eyes. A great, white, ball of light was coming towards me, growing bigger and brighter as I watched. After a second, it occurred to me that if the light was solid, it would crash through the skylight and hit me. So, just to be on the safe side, I rolled out of my bed, and stood at the edge of the room, watching fearfully. The brilliant light had now filled my room, and was still growing brighter. Soon, I had to close my eyes against it, and just wait.

CRASH

With the sound of something metal falling through glass the whatever-it-was crashed though the skylight into my room. Almost immediately, the light faded away, leaving red spots in my vision. I opened my eyes again, blinked away the spots, and looked at my bed.

It was covered in glass and metal from the skylight, and the light of the moon now illuminated it fully. The thing that had crashed into my apartment lay on my pillow. It was a biggish, silvery orb, light pulsating from it gently. Almost unaware of what I was doing, I walked over to it, holding out my hand to touch it. Some distant part of myself was aware of the glass cutting into my bare feet, and of the fact that anything that had just burned that brightly must be burning hot, but I was in some kind of trance. I didn't notice the glass, and as I touched the orb, I found it was quite cool, as if it had been lying in a refrigerator all day. I put both my hands on the orb…and suddenly, the light returned, a shock ran through my body, and I was thrown across the room. My head hit against the wall, and I knew no more.

OhdearOhdearOhdearOhdearOhdearOhdear

I woke up the next morning to the sound of knocking at my door. Groaning, I sat up. I had been leaning against the wall across from my bed, and my head felt like it was about to crack open. For a moment, I wondered what the heck had happened. Then I remembered the orb. I sat bolt right up.

It was there, lying on my pillow exactly as it had done the night before. The glass lay around it, and the skylight above was shattered. I looked at my feet, and was surprised to find that they had healed overnight. In fact, my headache was already disappearing. This was getting weirder by the minute.

The knocking at my door grew louder and more insistent. I stood up carefully, avoiding any glass, and made my way out of the bedroom to the front door. Not bothering to check my appearance, I flung it open.

The day guard stood there, looking startled. For a moment I wondered if he expected someone else, but then I remembered that I had just woken up. I was dressed in rumpled clothes, bare feet, and my brown hair was sticking up all over the place. I probably looked crazy.

"Er, Hello," said the guard.

"Hey," I said. "Uh, Can I help you?"

"There was someone here to see you earlier," said the guard. "But we couldn't reach you, so I sent them away. I wanted to make sure you were all right-"

"Someone was here to see me?" I interrupted. The Guard nodded.

"Two people actually," he said. "A brown haired guy and a blonde woman. You know 'em?"

"You've just described half the people in my class," I said dryly.

"Oh, well, I just wanted to check that you hadn't been murdered or anything…" the guard trailed off. "You are ok, right?"

"Yep," I lied. "Everything's fine." Yeah, some weird ball thing had crashed through my window the night before, but I was great.

"Ok, then," the guard smiled at me. "See ya."

I closed the door, and retreated back to my room. I glanced at my clock. 9:00 in the morning. I frowned. Who would be looking for me earlier than 9:00 in the morning on a Sunday? Whatever. I had more pressing matters, starting with the glass all over my room. I carefully cleaned it up, and nailed a board over my skylight. I left the orb where it was, feeling too frightened to go near it again.

After I was finished cleaning, I took a shower and changed. I gobbled down my breakfast, and sat at my desk, trying to get something done for work.

Unfortunately, the orb kept drawing my attention. I couldn't keep my eyes off of it. It no longer pulsed. In fact, I got the distinctive feeling that it was, for lack of a better word, dead. But I was fearful of it; because of the shock it had given me. A shock, which seemed to have healed my feet, and given me odd drawing abilities…

Drawing abilities? I looked down at the paper where I'd been absently doodling. I dropped the pencil in surprise. I had drawn seven symbols. They looked vaguely familiar, except for the last one, which looked like an A without the line in the middle, and a circle on the top. I stared at it for moment.

I shook my head, and leaned forward on my desk, my head in my hands. The headache had returned, and it was getting worse. I pressed my hands against my eyes, as though hoping I could somehow push it away. Then, suddenly, it was gone.

I looked up, blinking in surprise. But I wasn't in my room anymore. Instead, I was standing in a long metal hallway. High-tech was the only was to describe it. People walked up and down the hall, talking quietly. I noticed a window, and walked over to it. Outside, all I saw was stars.

I staggered back, tripped over my feet, and for the second time that day, found myself lying on my bedroom floor. Panting, I stared up at the ceiling. I turned my head slowly, to look at the orb. It was just sitting there, innocently. I felt sure that whatever was happening had to do with it. Slowly, I got up, and walked over to the desk. I picked up the orb, and carried it to my closet. It was heavy, heavier than it looked, which was saying something. I placed it in my closet and shut the door tightly. I leaned against it, and closed my eyes. Hopefully, this would be the end of all the strangeness.

Someone knocked on my door.

"What now?" I muttered, hurrying to the door. For the second time that day, I flung it open, this time angrily.

"What?" I asked, rather rudely.

The man and woman in front of me exchanged glances. Belatedly, I realized this must be the two that had come to see me this morning. The man was brown haired and blue eyed, and wore glasses. That unconnected part of me thought he was cute. The woman was blonde and also had blue eyes.

"Um, I mean, hello?" I said quickly.

"Hi," said the man. "Are you Bridget Darrow?"

"Yeah," I said.

"Oh, good," said the man. "I'm Dr. Daniel Jackson, and this is Captain Samantha Carter. We were wondering if we could talk to you."

"Uh, why?" I asked.

"We want to know if you saw anything weird last night," said Samantha Carter.

"Like what?" I asked suspiciously.

"Anything," said Daniel. "Er, can we come in?"

I hesitated for a moment. Then, "Sure." I stood back to let them in.

Dr. Daniel Jackson and Captain Samantha Carter walked past me into the kitchen. I closed the door and followed them.

"Can I get you anything?" I asked. If there was anything my Grandma had taught me it was manners.

"No, that's ok," said Captain Carter.

"Do you have any coffee?" asked Daniel hopefully.

"Only decaf," I replied.

"Oh," he looked disappointed, and I fought off the urge to hug him.

"So, what is it you wanted to talk to me about?" I asked.

"Did you see anything strange last night?" asked Carter.

"Strange like what?" I said.

"Like, lights in the sky, a meteor, something like that," said Daniel.

I blinked, and turned to the counter under the pretense of pouring myself some coffee. Something did happen to me last night, a strange metal object crashed into my bedroom, but should I tell them? I had no idea what they would do if I did. They were military, as far as I could tell. At least, Captain Carter was anyway. I didn't have the greatest faith in the military, for…reasons. But what did I have to lose?

"Miss Darrow?" prompted Daniel.

"What?" I turned around, and gave him a quick smile. "No, sorry, I didn't see anything last night."


	3. A Bad Day

Thanks for the reviews! I'm glad people are liking this story so far...I hope you like the rest.**  
**

**Chapter 2: A Bad Day**

I tried not to think about the orb for the rest of the day, and the next morning was Monday, which meant work. Another thing my Grandmother had left me when she died was a small bookstore on Sullivan Drive. Originally, it had been owned by my parents. But they died when I was three, and my grandmother stepped in. She took over the family business, and took care of me. And she kept going until she died of a heart attack when I started University. So, I took over. I couldn't run it during the day, so I had the people my grandmother hired run it for me. I'd known them since I was a little girl, so I knew they wouldn't try and steal from me. After I graduated, I slowly took over running the store full time. It was time for most of these people to retire anyway, and they still helped out part-time. So far, I hadn't had the guts to hire anyone else.

I arrived at the store at around 7:00 AM to open up. Colorado Springs was already busy by then. Cars rushed past me as I walked down the street. I said hi to various people I knew, and glared at a pair of teenagers who were hanging around the storefront. They cleared off immediately.

Inside the store, everything was quiet. I loved it here, with the books and magazines, old-fashioned wooden shelves, and a small reading area in the back. There was a piece of pizza left over from Saturday night on the counter. Wrinkling my nose, I picked it up and threw it out. It had been late, ok? I'd been tired.

_Thump _

Something fell in the back room. I glanced over, my heart I my mouth. Maybe those teenagers were lookouts for someone already on the inside.

I reached over the counter, and drew out the best weapon there-a particularly large and heavy dictionary. If someone was there, dropping it on their heads while they weren't looking would be perfect. Words hurt. Trust me.

Slowly, I crept towards the door to the back room. I pushed it open with my shoulder, and peered inside. Dust particles floated in the air, illuminated by a beam of early morning sunlight shining in through the small window. The shelves contained old books that needed patching up before I could put them in the Used Books Section, and new books that still needed to be taken out of their boxes. One of these boxes lay on the floor, but nothing else in the room moved.

Confused, I walked in, placing the dictionary on the shelf. The door swung closed behind me. I started towards the box-

"Oof!"

Someone grabbed me around the neck and covered my mouth with their hand. I felt the cold metal rim of a gun against my temple.

"Hey, sweetheart." whispered a voice in my ear. It was male, and smooth. I would expect tall, dark and handsome, if he wasn't wearing a mask and pointing a gun at my head.

"You have something I want," he continued. "And it isn't a book. Something landed in your room a couple nights ago, didn't it?"

I shook my head.

"Don't lie!" the gun pressed harder into my temple. "That thing belongs to me, get it? Now, I want you to take me to it."

I nodded.

"No funny business now," warned the man. He let me go, keeping the gun aimed at my head. "Lead the way."

I started towards the door of the room, my mind working frantically to figure a way out of this. It was at this moment that Dr. Daniel Jackson saved my life.

"Hello? Miss Darrow-?"

The man swung around in surprise, and I took the opportunity to whirl around and push one of my oh-so-carefully-sorted shelves down on him.

"AGH!"

Books toppled off the shelf onto the man, and he fired his gun aimlessly in all directions. By some miracle the bullets didn't hit me, and I ran towards the main store, where Daniel Jackson and Samantha Carter stood waiting, looking shocked. Carter had her gun drawn. As I tried to sputter out what had happened, two more people burst in: an older man, and a tall black man wearing a toque.

"What the hell's going on here?!" roared the older man.

"There's a guy in there with a gun!" I answered, pointing towards the backroom.

"Carter, Daniel, get her out of here," ordered the man, as he and the other guy made their way towards the back room. Daniel grabbed my arm and dragged me out. A black SUV sat waiting outside my store.

"What's going on?" I cried.

Neither one answered me.

Suddenly, the two men came bursting out of the store, looking terrified.

"GET DOWN!" shouted the older man.

Daniel pulled me down, as, with a gigantic BOOM, my store exploded.

Glass, wood and metal flew out at us. I buried my face into my arms, but felt pieces of glass slice into my skin. I looked up after a moment, to find my little shop in ruin. The windows were blown out, and the door was lying two feet in front of me. The inside was burning, and I thought I saw pages of books jumping into the air, glaring at me accusingly. People all down the street were stopping and pointing. Some were talking on cell phones. Already, I could hear the fire engines in the distance.

Somebody grabbed me by the back of my jacket and pulled me up. I looked up into the angry brown eyes of the older man.

"What the hell were you thinking?" he roared. "There was a bomb in there! Did you want to get us killed?"

"A b-bomb?" I stuttered.

"YES!" shouted the man. "A bomb! Or did you put it there?"

"No, I-"

"Sir," Carter intervened. "There was somebody else back there. I heard the gunshots, and she doesn't have a gun."

The man glared at me angrily, but apparently wasn't going to argue with his subordinate. He let go of my jacket and I turned around, staring at my shop.

"Oh no…" I groaned, but before I could do anything, Carter grabbed my arm and pulled me towards the SUV. She opened the door and shoved me inside.

"You lied to us, didn't you?" she spat, her eyes narrowed as she climbed in. "You did see something."

I looked at her, my eyes wide and terrified. I nodded.

She shook her head. "Colonel, we should go back to her apartment," she said to the man as he, Daniel, and the other man got in.

"Why?" asked the Colonel.

"There's something there," said Carter. "Right?" she added to me.

Again, I nodded.

Suddenly, Daniel grabbed my arm.

"Hey-!" I cried, trying to pull it away.

"Look at this!" he said, showing it to Carter.

"What the-?" she gasped.

"What is it?" I asked. "Let me see!"

I pulled my arm from his grip and examined it. My eyes widened even further.

The cuts on my arm from the glass were healing. Even as I watched, they slowly closed up, leaving completely unmarked skin.

"What's happening to me?" I whispered.

"We're here," announced the Colonel. "Teal'c? Anybody suspicious?"

"I do not see anyone, O'Neill," said the man called Teal'c.

"Come on, then," said O'Neill. He got out of the car, and Carter, Daniel, and Teal'c followed. I slid out after them. O'Neill looked at me.

"Lead the way," he said.

I shivered as I remembered the man telling me the exact same thing.

I ran inside the building, closely followed by the other four. The day guard looked incredibly surprised to see me.

"I thought you were at work!" he said.

"I was," I told him.

I sprinted up the five floors, and burst into the hall. Here, I paused. At the end of the hall was the two stairs that led to my door, and behind that door, in a closet, sat the orb. I was already regretting my choice to not just tell Carter and Daniel where it was.

"Hurry up," said O'Neill, jolting me out of my thoughts.

I walked to my door, fumbled with the key, and inserted it into the lock. I turned it until I heard the click, and opened the door.

My apartment looked exactly as I had left it under half an hour ago. My dishes were on the counter from breakfast, and the coffee was still somewhat warm in the pot. I hurried through the kitchen into my room. O'Neill looked at the broken skylight.

"Something go through that?" he asked. I didn't answer, instead crossed the room to my closet. Hesitantly, I opened the door.

"There," I said, pointing at the orb. "It fell through the skylight Saturday night. It was…lit up, like a star, but it stopped after I…" my voice trailed off.

"After you what?" asked O'Neill sharply.

"I touched it," I said. "And then…it shocked me, and threw me across the room."

"Jack," We all turned to look at Daniel, who was standing at me desk, staring at a piece of paper. "Look at this."

O'Neill crossed over to him, and took the paper. He looked up at me.

"Where did you get this?" he asked, holding it up. It was the seven symbols.

"I drew it," I said. "I just-" I hesitated before continuing. "I think they were in there," I pointed at the orb. "And when I touched it, they went into me."

I looked at all of them to see what they thought of this. Teal'c looked at O'Neill.

"It is possible the sphere is some kind of Ancient device," he said. "Like the one that you met with, O'Neill."

"Orb," I said. Teal'c looked at me. "It's an orb," I shrugged. Teal'c raised his eyebrows.

"That thing's different," said O'Neill. "I don't see a face suctiony thing there-"

"We should bring it back to Cheyenne Mountain, anyway," said Carter. "I'd like to study it, sir."

O'Neill raised his eyebrows. "It could be dangerous, Carter," he grunted.

"It's safe," I said, not really knowing how I knew that.

O'Neill looked at me, frowning.

"We shouldn't leave it here, sir," said Carter. "Whatever it is, it came from outer space. I think it's safest to take it back."

O'Neill nodded. "Ok, pack it up, then."

Carter and Teal'c moved past me to get the orb. As they carried it out of the room, Daniel looked at me.

"Jack," he said. "What about her?"

O'Neill considered me for a moment.

"She's already in over her head," pointed out Daniel. "And if she's right, there might be more stuff in her mind. Or maybe she's the only one who can work that orb."

O'Neill cocked his head to one side, still looking at me. Finally, he sighed.

"Fine," he said. "Bring her along."

"What if I don't want to go?" I challenged.

"Then the next time some guy tries to blow you up, you'll find yourself at the Pearly Gates," said O'Neill. "Now, Come on." He left.

"Where are we going?" I asked Daniel as we started after him.

"Cheyenne Mountain Complex," he replied.

"What's there?"

"You'll see."


	4. The General, The Captain, and The Doctor

Well, despite the conspicuous lack of reviews, more people put this on Story Alert...So I will assume it's being read! Hope you enjoy the next chapter!

**Chapter 3:The General, The Captain, and The Doctor **

They put me in a small room with a desk in the middle, to await a meeting with the head hauncho of the base. Guards stood outside, and I wondered if they believed that I would try to escape. It wasn't as if I could get far.

I was resting my head in my hands when they came in. The sound of the door opening made me look up. O'Neill walked in, closely followed by Daniel and another man. He was bald and a little chubby, but despite his appearance, he commanded respect.

"Miss Darrow," he said, taking the seat opposite me. "I'm General Hammond, head of this facility."

"Nice to meet you," I said, shaking his hand.

"Would you like to tell me everything that happened since that orb fell into your apartment?" he asked.

I glanced at Daniel, who nodded encouragingly. I looked back at Hammond and took a breath.

I told him everything. About the orb falling through the skylight, the shock and being thrown across the room, the mysterious healing feet and arms, the vision, and what the man in the bookstore had said to me. After I finished, Hammond sat staring at me, his brow furrowed.

"You're absolutely sure that's what happened?" he said.

"Yeah," I confirmed.

"And this man in the bookstore," said Hammond. "Do you know him?" I shook my head. "Did you see what he looked like?"

"He was wearing a mask," I said.

Hammond nodded. "I'd like our doctor to take a look at you," he said.

"I feel fine," I said, which was completely true. I felt fine, considering what had happened to me over the past couple days.

"I'm sure you do," said Hammond kindly. "But this healing, and the fact that you were thrown across the room worries me. I'd like Dr. Fraiser to see you."

He smiled and got up. He signaled to O'Neill and Daniel, and they left the room. I watched as O'Neill said something to the guards outside my door. They nodded and saluted, and O'Neill left. After a moment, the guards opened the door.

"You're to come with us to the infirmary," he said. I sighed and stood up, following him out the door. As we walked down the hall, me in between them, I looked from one to other.

"So…" I said. "You guy's work here long?"

Neither answered.

"Because," I continued. "Considering my store's been blown-up, I'm going to need a new job. I was thinking, maybe I could be a guard-girl? Or is it just for guys? I mean, how's the dental plan?"

"Dental's fine," said a voice behind us. "It's the possibility of getting shot at that tends to chase people away."

The guards stopped and turned me around.

"Captain Carter?" asked the first one.

"Sure," I said. "You talk to _her_."

"I'll take her to the infirmary," said Carter, a hint of a smile on her lips.

"Are you sure-?"

"Yeah," said Carter. "Go on your break early. I wanted to talk to her anyway."

"I'm standing right here," I said.

"All right then," said the guard. He and his friend left without a word to me.

"Thanks for the compelling conversation!" I shouted after them.

Carter smiled and started leading me to the elevator. Once we were in, she looked at me.

"Why did you lie to us?" she asked bluntly.

"What?" I asked, blinking a little stupidly. "I don't know, I just-did."

"It wasn't like we would have done anything to you," she said. "We wanted to help, actually."

"Oh, I bet," I said, unable to keep the sarcasm out of my voice.

"What have you got against the Air Force?" demanded Carter.

"Nothing!"

"Doesn't sound like it."

"Well, listen better."

We stood in silence, waiting for the elevator to reach the right level. I looked at the numbers, steamed. Finally, I couldn't bear it.

"My parents were in the Air Force," I said finally, glaring at the buttons. Carter didn't say anything, just looked at me. So I continued. "At least, my Dad was. My mom was a scientist. They died when I was three."

"I'm sorry," said Carter softly.

"They were working here, actually," I said, looking around. "In Cheyenne Mountain. Not many people worked here back then, and one night they and a few others were the only ones. The base locked down. No one knows why. I've asked. No one went in or out, no one communicated with the people inside, for five hours. When the base did reopen…all the people had disappeared. A few days later, a friend of my parents was found dead on the outskirts of town. Then, the military rolled in, the investigation was scrapped, the incident forgotten, the family members told nothing, and everything was swept cleanly away under the rug. I went to live with my Grandmother," I laughed bitterly. "You know, 'till the day she died, she tried to find out what happened. But no one ever told her anything. I've tried myself, and been told to keep my nose out of it." I looked at Carter. "That's why I lied to you."

She didn't say anything for a moment.

"Look-" she started.

The elevator doors opened.

"Where's the infirmary?" I asked.

"Through here," said Carter, pointing. "Look, Miss Darrow-"

"Please call me Bridget," I said. "Miss Darrow makes me feel like I'm in grade school again."

"Ok, Bridget," said Carter. She stopped me. "I'm really sorry about your parents, but that's no reason to lie to us!"

"The bottom-line, Captain Carter," I said. "Is that I don't trust you."

"Even after we saved your life?" asked Carter incredulously.

"Ok," I said. "So maybe that moves you down on the list of people not to trust. Congratulations, now, you and your 'Air Force' are just below telemarketers!"

"We're here to help," said Carter. "You have to believe that."

"And keeping me locked up in a cell is just your way of helping?" I said, my voice getting louder. "Holding me against my will?"

"I'll talk to General Hammond about getting you proper quarters," said Carter.

"You will?" I asked, taken aback.

Carter nodded. "As for being held against your will…you need help. You can't deny that."

I looked at her suspiciously.

"I guess so," I said finally.

"Infirmary's this way," said Carter, pointing down the hall. "And by the way, call me Sam."

"Ok…" I said. We walked towards the infirmary, where a small woman with brown hair was bandaging up some guy with a giant wrench.

"Ah," she said when she saw us. " Is this the magically healing girl?"

"I prefer Bridget," I said.

"Well, I'm Dr. Fraiser," said the woman. "And if you'll just give me a minute-"

She finished up bandaging wrench-guy's arm and picked up a clipboard. She turned to me.

"So," she said, reading what was on the clipboard. "Bridget Marie Darrow, 26, born April 1, 1973. Allergic to broccoli-" she looked up. "Seriously?"

"Yeah," I said. "I used to get that from babysitter's too. That is, until I broke out in hives…"

Dr. Fraiser nodded, and muttered to herself, making checks on the list. Sam and I exchanged glances, until the petite doctor looked up again.

"Well," she said. "I'll just do a normal check-up, take some blood, and I'll do an MRI-"

"An MRI?" I asked. "Why?"

"Standard Procedure," chirped Dr. Fraiser. "Now, roll up your sleeve, I'm going to take some blood."

I watched a little queasily as she inserted the needle into my arm.

"I don't like blood," I muttered.

"No one does if it's outside your body," pointed out Sam.

"Sure," I said, rolling down my sleeve.

Dr. Fraiser took the blood and put it to be tested. She then did some weird thing where she checked the back of my neck and my throat, and I had to go through the MRI. Fortunately, those came out clear, and I was left with the little things.

"Ok, heartbeat," said Dr. Fraiser.

"It's there," I said.

"I'm sure it is," said the doctor. She felt for it with her stethoscope, and frowned.

"What?" I asked. "Don't tell me it's not there."

Dr. Fraiser didn't answer. Instead, she turned to Sam.

"Listen and tell me what you hear," she ordered, offering the ear things.

Sam listened, and her brow furrowed.

"That's…odd," she said finally.

"What?" I asked, agonized. "What is it?"

"Has your heartbeat always been so slow?" asked Dr. Fraiser.

"My heartbeat's faster than normal," I said. It was true. My heart beat pretty fast, even when I was resting.

"Well," said Dr. Fraiser. "Right now I'd estimate it at 15-20 beats per minute."

I raised my eyebrows. "That's impossible."

"Apparently not," said Sam. "I can hear it too."

I looked from one to the other, wondering if it was some kind of joke.

"Maybe it has something to do with her healing so quickly," said Sam.

"Hmmm…" Dr. Fraiser looked at me. "Let's see your arm."

"Ok," I rolled up my sleeve again, and showed her my arm.

"It's not bleeding," said Dr. Fraiser. "There's no sign I took any blood at all."

"Told you," said Sam.

"But how is this possible?" demanded Dr. Fraiser.

"Could it have something to so with the orb?" asked Sam.

"That's a definite possibility, but…" Dr. Fraiser's voice slowly faded away, as I felt myself drifting off. My eyes started to close, voices were echoing around me, and I was starting to fall over, slowly.

I opened my eyes. I was standing in another long corridor, but this wasn't at Cheyenne Mountain. It was exactly the same as the one in my vision, the day before. This time, though, the corridors were empty, save for two people standing a few feet away. I walked purposely towards them.

"Is everything ready?" I asked. My voice was different, older, and it spoke in a different language. Strangely enough, I understood as though it was plain English. One of the other people, a man, nodded.

"Yes," he said, in that same language. "The crew and their families are in hibernation, and the orb is ready."

"We were just waiting for you," said the other, a woman.

I gave them a curt nod. "Good."

We walked down the hall, and as we passed a window, I paused. Once again, I looked through, but this time, all I saw was desert.

And everything went black.


	5. EUREKA!

Thanks for reviewing, E. Nagrom. And about the orb...Tell me about it.

And, to the people who put this on Story Alert...Thanks as well. It gives me hope. :)

**Chapter 4: EUREKA!**

Voices sounded around me. People were talking to each other, and I was lying in a soft bed, my eyes closed. I didn't want them to know I was awake yet. It was a game. How long could I fool them?

"It appears that there are some type of nanobots in her bloodstream," said Dr. Fraiser's voice. I kept still, hoping she wouldn't notice me.

"You mean, like the ones on the orb?" That was Hammond. I recognized the accent.

"Yes," Sam. But wait, these weren't the people who usually played the game. But then, who did? Two people, usually, standing beside my bed and telling me that they were going to work, but that Grandma was coming to look after me for awhile…

"They appear to be preserving her, sir," said Dr. Fraiser.

"Preserving her?" O'Neill, yes, that was him. "What, like meat?"

"Not really. It seems as if it's trying to keep her in the state she was in when she touched the orb. That's why she heals so quickly, and it could also explain why her heart is beating so slowly," explained Dr. Fraiser's voice.

"Did Bridget Darrow not say that she cut her feet when she touched the orb?" There was no mistaking that voice. It was Teal'c.

"I think the nanobots somehow know what state she is supposed to be, as well as what she was when they first came in contact with her," said Dr. Fraiser. "So, they healed the cut feet. Actually, it's almost as if she's in hibernation, except she's conscious."

"Was conscious," corrected Daniel's voice.

"Is conscious," I said, sitting up. I immediately regretted it, as my head was pounding.

"Whoa there!" Dr. Fraiser pushed on my shoulder, and I sank back into the pillows. "How do you feel?"

"Like someone rammed a two by four into my head," I said through gritted teeth. But even as I said it, the pain was fading. "So, nanobots, huh?"

"Yes," said Sam. "They're pre-"

"Preserving me, I know," I blinked. The pain was almost completely gone. General Hammond and the rest were standing around my bed, either looking concerned or curious. "What happened?"

"You collapsed," explained Sam.

"Ah…" I said. "For how long?"

"A few hours," said Dr. Fraser. "And I'm going to keep you under medical observation from now on."

"Fun," I said.

"At least you got a proper bed," said O'Neill. Obviously, Sam had brought my complaints about no quarters before him.

"Yeah," I leaned back and looked at the ceiling. "Great."

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Nothing happened for a few days, except that I had dreams about the corridor, but they were nothing really. Not like the last one. After a while, Dr. Fraiser had to admit that aside from the almost non-existent heartbeat, and the nanobots coursing through my system, I was in perfect health and therefore didn't need to be in the infirmary. So I moved to quarters somewhere else in the base. It seemed a given that I would be staying, though I wasn't altogether happy about it.

That was when I figured it out.

I was sitting in the commissary, alone as usual, eating my broccoli-less lunch, when Sam and Daniel arrived. For some reason, both of these two felt guilty for pulling me into a world I hated, and had decided to be friends. Which I didn't mind. I needed friends at the time.

"Hey," said Sam, sitting down in the seat next to me, as Daniel sat in the seat across.

"Yo," I greeted.

"How's, uh, how're your quarters?" asked Daniel.

"They're fine," I said, looking up from my food to smile at him. "No Five Star Hotel, but I'll live." I paused. "Hopefully."

"Just because your heart's not beating that fast doesn't mean you're going to die," said Sam.

"Everyone treats me like I'm on my deathbed," I said. "They won't look at me, talk to me, anything. Actually, I get the feeling everyone's hiding something."

Sam and Daniel looked at each other. I pointed at them with my fork.

"Case in point," I said. "Everybody does that whenever I mention it. Deep Space Telemetry my butt."

"You're imagining things," said Sam.

"Thank you," I said. "Now I'm delusional as well as undead."

"You're not undead," scoffed Daniel.

"Uh-huh," I snorted. I turned back to my sketch paper, upon which I was drawing. Daniel looked at it.

"What are you drawing?" he asked.

"I don't know," I said, my brow furrowed. "It's been in my head all day. I figure if I draw it, it'll leave." I added the finishing touch and laid down the pencil. "There."

Sam and Daniel both stared.

"What?" I asked. I looked at the drawing, my head tilted. "I think I know what it's called," I said quietly. "The Stargate."

Neither of the other two spoke, so I just continued.

"And remember those seven symbols? There here," I pointed at the drawing. It was of a big circle, with symbols around it. "See?" I looked up. "What's up with you guys, you look like you've seen a ghost."

"It's nothing," said Sam. "You know, we've got to go see Hammond…" she and Daniel started to get up, but I stopped them.

"It's a place," I said suddenly. "Those symbols, put them together and they'll take you somewhere! And that place I keep dreaming of…that's where it is! Wherever this Stargate goes, that's where it is! That's why those things are inside me; they're preserving me so I can go find those people. That orb…it's like a message in a bottle!" I considered. "A bit better than, 'help me!' but you get the drift." I looked back at my drawing. "And I'm supposed to find them."

"That's ridiculous-" started Daniel.

"That's what you've been hiding," I said suddenly. "The Stargate! You know where it is."

I glared at them, daring them to contradict me. Neither one did.

"I think…" said Sam. "You'd better come with us."

I stared at them. "Why?" I asked, the suspicious tone I had first used when I met them evident in my voice.

"Just…Come on," said Daniel. I walked with them out of the commissary, over to the elevator.

"Where are we going?" I asked, as I stepped on.

"Level 28," said Sam, swiping her ID card through the reader.

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I had never been to level 28. It contained almost everything I wasn't allowed to see: The top secret Deep Space Telemetry, General Hammond's office, and Teal'c's quarters. I sat in the Conference room, outside of Hammond's office, waiting for Sam and Daniel to finish talking to him. The huge window was covered by a blast door, which made sense, as the place was an old nuclear facility, but I wondered why they kept it down.

"Bridget Darrow?" I looked up to see Teal'c standing in front of me, his face the closest to curious I had ever seen it. But that's not what garnered my attention. I had never seen Teal'c without a hat, and I could now see why he wore it; his forehead was adorned with a gold symbol, an oval with a snake in the middle. I tried not to stare.

"Hello, Teal'c," I said.

"Have you been given permission to be on level 28?" he asked, sounding more curious than accusatory.

"Well," I said, glancing around. "I'm not sure...Sam and Daniel freaked out when I drew something. They're talking to the General about it." I leaned forward. "Hey, do you know what the Stargate is?"

Teal'c raised his eyebrows in surprise, but was saved answering by General Hammond coming out of his office, closely followed by Sam and Daniel.

"Miss Darrow," he said, holding up my drawing and looking a little angry. "Please explain how you came to know about the Stargate?"

"So there is a Stargate!" I cried, jumping up in my excitement. General Hammond looked taken aback.

"Explain how you were able to draw this," he said.

"Well, I picked up the pencil, and dragged the graphite along the paper-"

"Bridget," interrupted Daniel.

"It was in my head," I explained. "I don't know how it got there. It just was."

Hammond frowned, and turned to Sam.

"Could this have anything to do with her condition?" he asked.

"It's possible, sir," said Sam. "She had the coordinates. Maybe it's showing her how to use them?"

"Coordinates?" I asked, but once again, the answer popped into my head. "Those symbols! I was right!"

"Have you seen anything else?" questioned Hammond. "Any other symbols?"

I shook my head. "Just those, and the planet the ship's on of course."

The words just spouted out of my mouth. I had no idea where they came from, but I immediately knew it to be true. Hammond and the rest stared at me.

"Planet? Ship?" Daniel sputtered finally.

"What do you mean?" asked Sam.

"There was a ship," I said. "A long time ago. A ship built by...the Ancients. They were a race of people. But they crashed, and they sent out a probe, one that would lead someone to their location, so they could be rescued. And it found me."

Once again, I just spouted the words, and immediately knew them to be true.

"How do you know all this?" demanded Hammond.

"I just do," I said simply.

OoOoOoOoOo...


	6. Explanation, please

Whee! Thanks for reviewing everyone! This next chapter, is, as indicated by the title, more of an explanation than anything.

**Chapter 5: Explanation, please.**

"So, there is a Stargate?" I asked.

"Yes," said Daniel. "It was found in Egypt in the 1920's. We've been using it to travel to other planets for almost 2 years now."

I looked at my hands, and swallowed. We were sitting in the Conference Room, waiting for Hammond to finish talking to Jack and Dr. Fraiser. Before leaving, Hammond had told Sam, Daniel, and Teal'c to "Tell her everything." Needless to say, I hadn't quite been expecting a working Stargate.

"And that's not all," said Sam. "There are these...creatures, called the Goa'uld. We met them the first time we went through the gate. They are little snake like things in they're natural form, but they take hosts. Human hosts."

"A Goa'uld is in complete control of the host," said Teal'c. "It does not care for other living beings. The Goa'uld have enslaved hundreds of planets, and are still taking over more. They act as gods, but they are not."

I gaped. "And these Goa'uld…are they trying take over Earth?"

"Well," said Daniel. "They've certainly tried. We've already fended off one attack from them."

"And…are they going to try again?" I asked, hoping the answer would be in the negative.

Sam and Daniel glanced at each other.

"We don't know," said Sam.

I nodded, trying to take it all in.

"But," said Sam. "We haven't just made enemies, we've made friends. For instance, the Tok'ra; they are an off shoot of the Goa'uld-"

"But if you ever meet one don't say that," interjected Daniel.

"Yes," Teal'c. "They are sensitive on that subject."

"I don't get it," I said. "What are the Tok'ra?"

"They're like the Goa'uld," explained Sam. "Except they're relationships with their hosts are more symbiotic. Where the Goa'uld have complete control, the Tok'ra share the host's body, and only if they are willing."

"Ah," I said.

"And recently, we met a race called the Asgard," said Daniel. "And also, the Tollan. Both are more advanced than us. We've also met other humans on different planets."

"How does that work out?" I asked.

"The Goa'uld took them from Earth," explained Daniel. "Thousands of years ago. We've been traveling around for two years, meeting them."

I thought about all this for a moment. "And what about you? Where do you guys fit in?" I asked finally.

Sam, Daniel, and Teal'c looked at each other.

"We are SG-1," said Teal'c. "One of many teams at Stargate Command."

"And you?" I asked him. "You're not human."

"No," he said. "I am Jaffa, bred to serve the Goa'uld. I carry one in it's larval form," he lifted his shirt up, so I could see the pouch in his stomach. A small, ugly, white worm thing poked its head out, squealing.

"That's, uh, lovely," I said. "Remind me never to complain about stomach aches again." I looked at him curiously. "But, why are you helping Earth?"

Teal'c dropped his shirt and lifted his head. "The Goa'uld are false gods," he said calmly. "I am doing what I believe is right for my people."

"Wow," I said.

"And that's just the tip of the ice burg," said Daniel grimly.

I rose from my seat, and walked over to the blast door covered window. Alone, it was enough that these things were in my head, but to have them actually be true? At least, the Stargate one anyway…that was just unbelievable.

"What about the coordinates?" I demanded, turning around. "Those symbols? Did you try them?"

Sam nodded. "We haven't gone to the planet yet, though. General Hammond thinks it could be dangerous. We're trying to find something that proves it could be useful."

"I have to go there," I said, practically begging. "I think it's the only way I'll ever be normal again. And that ship is there…those people…"

"The people aboard the Ancient Ship are most likely dead," said Teal'c, somewhat gently. "If we did find the vessel, it is probable information will only have survived."

"But that would be good," said Sam. "That ship could have information on anything-ship schematics, hyper drive engines, infomation on the Stargate," she considered for a moment. "Weapons, maybe."

"Not to mention what we could learn about their culture," said Daniel, sounding excited. "The ship's archives alone are enough…"

Both he and Sam seemed to be agreeing that finding this Ancient Ship would be good for earth. Personally, I didn't care. Something deep inside me wanted to find that ship, something in the very core of my being. I knew I had to go there. I also knew it was probably the Orb that caused this, but I didn't care. I was certain that if we found the Ancient ship, I would be normal again.

Sam stood up. "I'm going to tell General Hammond what you think, Bridget," she declared.

"I will go with you, Captain Carter," said Teal'c, rising out of his chair. The two walked out of the room to find the General. I looked at Daniel.

"Aren't you going to go with them?" I asked.

"No…they can handle it," Daniel smiled, and got up to join me. "I know it's a lot to take in."

"Ya think?" I asked. I looked at him curiously. "There is one thing I'd like to know, actually."

"What?"

"You're not military," I said. "And you're not an alien. Why are you here?"

Daniel sighed, and looked at the blast doors. "I was one of the people who figured out the Stargate," he admitted. "And I went on the first mission to Abydos, where we met the Goa'uld. I lived there for a year. I married one of the local woman."

"Oh," I said, feeling vaguely disappointed.

"Her name is Sha're," he said, and now he didn't seem to be talking to me anymore. "She was, is, the most beautiful woman I've ever met. And the bravest."

"What happened?" I asked softly.

"She was taken as a host by the Goa'uld," Daniel looked at me. "Every time I go through the gate, I hope that there will be a way I can free her. She's out there some where, and I'm going to save her."

He looked back at the window, and I thought I saw tears in his eyes. Hesitantly, I reached out, and put a hand on his arm.

"You'll find her," I promised him. "Definitely."

Daniel smiled at me.

"So," I said, wanting to cheer him up. "How many planets have you visited anyway?"

"Lost count," said Daniel. "Lots, I should think. We've met so many races. That's another reason I'm part of SG-1, actually, I'm a linguist."

"Ah, yes," I said. "There must be lots of languages out there."

"Not as many as you'd think actually," said Daniel thoughtfully. "A lot of planets speak English."

I raised my eyebrows.

"All these people, on all these planets, who were taken from Earth thousands of years ago…and they all speak English?" I said incredulously.

"Yeah, pretty much," said Daniel, nodding.

"You're kidding," I said, laughing.

"No," said Daniel. "Why?"

"Nothing," I said.

"What?"

"It's nothing," I repeated. "Come on, I never did finish my lunch…"


	7. The Dream

Well, here's the next chapter. Hopefully better than the last one...:D**  
**

**Chapter 6: The Dream**

The Orb sat on a plain silver table before me, surrounded by people whom I didn't know, yet who were familiar to me.

"Has the information been downloaded into it?" I asked. Once again, my voice was older, more commanding, and I spoke in a different language. But, once again, I could understand every word I said.

"Yes, sir," said one of the people standing beside me. He sounded nervous, like he wasn't used to speaking to me. I wanted to tell him he shouldn't be. "We just need the memories to explain-"

"I will provide those," I said curtly. "What must I do?"

"Touch the Orb, sir," the speaker was a woman. She spoke as if telling something to a small child who kept asking the same question over and over again. "Your memories will go into it."

I reached out, and touched the Orb. The surface warmed beneath my hand, and suddenly, I felt like I was falling forward, into the Orb. For a moment, everything was dark, and then, suddenly, I could see a girl, standing alone in a pool of light, looking confused and scared.

Then I realized I was that girl.

My perspective switched. I was Bridget Darrow again, standing in a room of infinite darkness, with only the two pools of light illuminating myself and the man standing before me. Judging by his graying hair, he was probably in his late forties, tall, gray eyed and dressed in a gray uniform. All in all, he was very…gray. I wondered if the Ancients were colour blind.

"Hello?" I greeted, a little nervously.

"Who are you?" demanded the man. "What are you doing here?"

"Hey," I said defensively. "This is my dream, buddy. I should be the one asking _you_ who _you_ are."

The man drew himself up to his full height. "I am Captain Tavius DeLos, Commander of the Vessel Espereté." He declared.

"Ah," I said, wondering if that was a real word. "Bridget Darrow, currently for hire. Wait," something clicked. "You're the Captain of the ship!"

"Yes," said DeLos.

"The one I'm looking for," I said, feeling excited. "I mean, we're looking for, if Sam can get permission from Hammond-"

"What are you babbling about?" asked the Captain, looking lost.

"Ok," I said. "You guys sent out an Orb, right? Some kind of message, that contained coordinates for the planet your ship was on, right? Well, I'm the one it came to. I'm the one who has all this stuff in my head. That's why I'm seeing you actually." I beamed at him, proud of myself for figuring it all out.

"You…found the Orb?" DeLos asked faintly.

"Well, it came to me, actually," I said. "So, what's the deal, are you guys alive? Do you have information on weapons technology? Can you get this stuff out of my brain?"

"You will have to come to the ship to return to your normal state-" started the Captain.

"I knew it," I said.

"But as to whether or not we're still alive, it depends on how long it has been," he said.

I felt my heart sink. "Oh."

"We were a scientific expedition," explained the Captain. "Explorers, out to find new worlds, discover new beings. We traveled the Universe for twenty years, until this happened."

"What?" I asked.

"We crashed," he said sadly. "Our engines were old, and damaged, and we crashed into a planet. Our engineers were unable to fix the problem. So we sent out the Orb, in hopes it would find someone like you."

"Why didn't you use the Stargate to escape?" I asked.

"The planet was not part of the mainstream," explained the Captain. "We knew there must be a Stargate on it, for it was close to our own planet, but it's location was lost to us. It has been many years since anyone visited this planet, for it is inhospitable."

"Oh," I said. "So, what did you do?"

"We put the crew into hibernation," he said. "Hopefully, you will arrive in time to save us."

"I hope so," I said.

"I do as well," said Captain Tavius DeLos. "Good Luck, Bridget Darrow…"

His voice faded away. I opened my eyes, and blinked. I was lying in my bed, in my quarters. I glanced at the clock. 5:25 in the morning. I groaned and sat up. There was the headache again, the one that always accompanied these little episodes of fun I got. I stumbled out of bed, found the bathroom and splashed water across my face. The headache faded, as it always did, and I looked at myself in the mirror. My face was pale, and my eyes wide.

Well, at least that dream was more informative. Almost fully awake, and craving caffeine, (You think I had that decaf coffee by _choice_?) I left the bathroom, and pulled on some green BDU's that I'd been provided with. Apparently, the current military had no fashion sense either.

I planned to go to see Sam to tell her about my dream, and to ask if she'd had any luck with Hammond the day before, but I sidetracked to the commissary by the smell of pancakes. This was fortunate, as the moment I walked in, I spotted the blonde head if Samantha Carter snoring away at a table at the back.

Grinning, I walked over to the counter and collected a plate of pancakes. I made my way to Sam's table, and sat down. I wafted the pancake smell towards her.

"Sam," I said softly. "Samantha…"

Sam sniffed, and opened her eyes. She yawned, and looked longingly at the pancakes.

"Can I have one?" she asked hopefully.

"Get your own, sleepyhead," I shrugged, pouring maple syrup over mine.

Sam sighed. "What time is it?" she asked wearily.

I checked my watch. "Five to six," I answered.

"Great," grumbled Sam, resting her head in her arms, and watching me eat jealously.

"Do you ever go home?" I asked her.

"Yes."

"Right."

"I do!"

"What did General Hammond say about the planet?" I asked her, changing the subject.

"He said he'll consider it," said Sam dully.

"I had a dream," I said.

"Did it involve Daniel in any way? Because if it did, I don't want to hear it."

"No!" I said. "I mean, it was like my visions. Except I talked to someone this time."

I told her about my conversation with Captain DeLos, and what I had learned.

"So, it is possible these people are alive," I said.

"Hmmm," said Sam. She was much more awake now. "Yes. But what you said about inhospitable…"

"What?" I said. "So, it might be a bit boring to look at-"

"The planet we found was forested," said Sam, frowning.

I stared at her. "What?"

"That means that it's either the wrong planet, or a very long time has passed since those people crashed." Sam's brow furrowed deeper. "It's possible we might not find anything, Bridget. You have to think about that."

"We have to try though," I said desperately.

Sam nodded. "I agree with you," she said quickly. "It's just, General Hammond might not."

I shook my head. "He has to," I stood up, and started towards the commissary door.

"Where are you going?" Sam called after me.

"To see General Hammond," I threw over my shoulder.

I heard her chair scraping back and her footsteps as she caught up with me.

"Ok," she said, as we exited into the hallway. "General Hammond hasn't even come in yet."

"Oh," I stopped, and sighed. "Well, when he comes in, I'll go see him."

Sam opened her mouth to say something, then closed it again. "Is anything I say going to stop you?" she asked.

I shook my head.

Sam closed her eyes briefly, and threw her hands in the air. "Ok!" she said. "You do what you want, I'm going to go and study the Orb some more."

"We already know what it is!" I called after her retreating back. "It was a message!" I bit my lip. "Now, I'm the message," I muttered.

I started back towards my quarters again, thinking I could read a book or something until General Hammond came in. I said hi to an Airman as I passed him in the hall, and turned a corner-

"Hey-!"

A man dressed in a military uniform put a hand over my mouth and forced me into an empty storeroom. He pushed me roughly up against the wall, and held me there while I struggled. I stopped when I felt the tip of a knife against my throat.

Twice in one week. I was not having a good month.

"Where is it?" he demanded, taking his hand off of my mouth. I recognized the voice immediately; it was the man who'd attacked me in my store.

"You!" I spat. "You blew up my store, you-"

"Shut up!" I felt the knife break through my skin. "I couldn't let them know…all evidence had to be destroyed…"

"So you planted a bomb?!"

"I told you to SHUT UP!" he roared. "Tell me where it is!"

"What?" I asked, rather viciously. What? I don't appreciate being held against the wall by a guy with a knife.

"The Orb!" cried the man. "I know you know where it is. That should have been mine. I tracked it, I went to where I knew it would land…it would have been my proof, proof that I was telling the truth." He looked at me, his eyes sparkling with madness. "Tell me where it is," he whispered.

"I don't know," I said.

He screamed, and let the knife loosen just a tiny bit. I took the moment, and kneed him in the stomach, and started towards the door to make my escape. But he was suddenly in front of me, and he lunged-

And fell forward on his face. I looked up to see Jack O'Neill standing in the hallway with a weird little ray gun that had shot the electricity that had brought the man down.

O'Neill lowered the gun, and stepped over the man, looking concerned.

"Are you ok?" asked O'Neill.

I nodded, and looked at the man.

"Is he dead?" I asked, clutching at O'Neill for support and staring down at my attacker.

"Just unconscious," said O'Neill. "Who is he?"

"The guy from the bookstore," I said.

"Well," said O'Neill. "Either he's really determined to steal your books, or…"

"He wants to kill me," I finished for him.

"I was gonna say he's determined to stalk you," said O'Neill.

"I kind of wish I had an old fashioned stalker," I said, almost wistfully.

"Don't we all?" asked O'Neill. "Come on, let's get the both of you to the infirmary."


	8. The Truth

Well, I know I haven't updated in a while, but I have an excuse! I was doing National Novel Writing Month! Which was quite fun. So, there! Hopefully, though, I'll be able to post these chapters more often. Please enjoy!

Chapter 7: The Truth

After Doctor Fraiser had taken a look at him, I sat next to my unconscious attacker, who was lying in a bed, restrained.

"His name is Doctor William Gerard," Daniel appeared beside me. "He's a scientist who's spent most of career trying to prove there's life on other planets. He was laughed at by the scientific community."

"Well, that would explain his desperation to get the Orb," I sighed, and leaned back, regarding the man sadly. I remembered imagining tall, dark, and handsome. I was right about the tall part. His hair was gray, and his skin pockmarked. "I guess he figured it would be the proof he needed." I considered for a moment. "He was right, of course."

"One thing I don't get," said Daniel. "If he tried to kill you, why are you waiting for him to wake up?"

"No idea," I said.

"So, why did he blow up your store?" Daniel asked lightly, I looked at him.

"He wanted to get rid of the evidence," I explained, unable to hide the bitterness in my voice.

"What does that mean?" asked Daniel, brow furrowed.

"No idea," I shrugged. "Maybe he didn't want to be incriminated or something."

"Hmmm…" Daniel's frown deepened, and he gazed down at William Gerard, thinking. "Was there anything in your store, anything that could be interesting to someone like him?"

"Books on conspiracy theories?"

"Where am I?"

I blinked and spun around.

William Gerard was awake.

I leaned forward. "You're in the infirmary," I said. "In a secret underground military base that you broke into."

"I did?" said Gerard rather dreamily.

"Yeah," I confirmed. "And you tried to kill me. But I don't hold grudges."

Gerard looked at me. His eyes widened. "Danielle?" he asked in disbelief.

"Daniel," corrected Daniel.

"No," I said. "I think he means the girl's name."

"Why does everybody think I'm a woman?" demanded Daniel.

"I don't think you're a woman," I said.

"Thank you!"

I turned back to the man. "Danielle," I muttered. "What do you mean by Danielle?"

"No," said Gerard, sounding disappointed. "Danielle had blonde hair."

A chill went through my body.

"Do you mean," I hesitated before continuing. "Danielle Darrow?"

He nodded. I closed my eyes.

"Is that your mother?" asked Daniel quietly.

"Yes," I whispered, and opened my eyes again. I looked at Gerard. "You knew my mother?" I asked him.

Gerard stared at me, and blinked slowly. "You're Bridget?" he asked hoarsely. I nodded. He smiled. "The last time I saw you, you were just a little thing."

"I don't remember," I said. After a moment's hesitation, I added. "If you knew them, why did you try to kill me?"

"I did not know who you are," he explained. "And, I was not fully in control of my actions. I am rarely in control anymore."

"What?" Daniel and I both asked at the same time.

"That Orb that fell into your apartment," Gerard scrutinized me carefully. "It downloaded its information into your brain, did it not?"

"Yes," I confirmed.

"The same happened to me," Gerard sat up. "It was the same day your parents left the planet."

I blinked. "My parents-" I started.

"Worked here," Gerard finished for me. "As did I. We were all here that day, your parents, two other scientists, an Airman, and myself. The Stargate activated, and the Orb came through. I was a fool. I told your parents it would be safe. I went into the Embarkation room to pick it up, and when I touched it-"

"You were thrown across the room," I whispered.

"Yes," Gerard's voice was getting raspier as he spoke. "I awoke in the infirmary, a few hours later. I told your parents we must go through the Stargate to find this ship! I told them it was possible to manually dial the Stargate, to get through." he sighed heavily. "They agreed, reluctantly, and we attempted to dial the gate. But we got it wrong. The address was not the right one, and it would not engage."

I looked at Daniel, confused. He quickly explained. "Sam fed your address into the computer to account for planetary shift. It's changed slightly."

"Ah," I said, nodding, though I wasn't really sure what that meant. I turned back to Gerard. "What happened next?" I demanded. "The base stayed locked down for five hours, and my parents never came out. You never came out, come to think of it."

"The Stargate activated again, that day," said Gerard. "I was never sure if the incidents were connected, or if it was simply coincidence. Three men came through, this time, and killed the Airman. Your parents put the base under lockdown, and we attempted to find a way to kill them. But they had weapons we had never seen before. They took your parents, and one of the scientists. They managed to disengage the lockdown, and they dialed the gate again. The other scientist tried to escape out of the base, but one of the men chased him and killed him outside. He came back to the base, and they went through the gate. I was hiding. When the military came in they took me away, and questioned me about what had happened. No one ever believed me." He shook his sadly.

"No one ever told me about you," I said bluntly. Gerard laughed.

"Do you really believe they would have?" he asked, chuckling. "No, and the better you were for it. You would not have needed me in your life. I was driven mad by desire to go to the planet and find that ship. I think it's part of the Orb's programming. It slowly took control of me. There are only few times that I am myself, and only for short periods. Don't you feel it too?" he watched me carefully. "That longing to get there? It will drive you crazy if you don't go."

I stared at him. All this information was too much to take in. My parents…I felt tears prick my eyes.

"My parents are alive?" I asked in hushed whisper.

"As far as I know," confirmed Gerard. He lay back in his bed, and closed his eyes.

"Wait," I said. Gerard cracked open an eyelid. I hurried on. "There was something in my shop, something that you blew up. What was it?"

Gerard coughed. His eyes closed briefly, and then reopened.

"Your Grandmother's search for answers was not entirely fruitless," he rasped. "She knew the truth about me, and spent the last years of her life trying to find me. I thought you may try the same thing. I couldn't have that."

He closed his eyes again. I looked at Daniel.

"Bridget…" he began

"Daniel?"

"Look, I know what you're thinking-"

"Oh Daniel," I said, smiling wryly. "You don't wan to know what I'm thinking."

"Two Orbs?" demanded O'Neill. He held up two fingers. "_Two_?"

"Yes, Jack," said Daniel, exasperated. "That's what he said."

"Well, can we really trust him?" asked Jack. "I mean, he did try to kill out resident crazy person."

"Thanks!" I said, waving. "I'm in the room!"

We, that is, SG-1 and I, were sitting in the briefing room, with General Hammond, going over what had been revealed to Daniel and me by William Gerard. Sam, Teal'c and Jack had all reacted as expected. Only General Hammond was quiet.

"But wouldn't we know?" asked Sam. "I mean, if another one landed on Earth?"

"If what Bridget Darrow says is true," said Teal'c calmly. "It was covered up by your military."

Every head turned to General Hammond, who sighed.

"General?" prompted Jack.

"It's true," said Hammond reluctantly.

"_Sir_?" Sam sounded disbelieving.

"It was long before anyone was really interested in the gate," explained the General. "Only a handful of people were working on the project. Miss Darrow's parents were two of them. Dr. Gerard told us what had happened, but…it was so fantastical, we dismissed it as the ravings of a madman. And he did look mad that night. We knew the Stargate had opened, and we thought that perhaps the people on the base that night had gone through. That was before we understood people could only travel one way. Still, when we tried to find Gerard again, he had disappeared."

There was silence in the room.

"It's true?" I whispered. Hammond nodded.

I sat back. Until now, Gerard's story had been doubted in my mind, but the revelation that it was true was so…I wasn't really sure what to think, actually.

"How come we were never told about this?" demanded Jack, a little angrily.

"Because it was none of your concern," replied Hammond.

"They were my parents-" I started, but Hammond stopped me.

"You had no need to know about the Stargate!" He said.

"But-"

"Bridget," Daniel stopped me, and I fell silent, glaring. Daniel looked at Hammond, and around at the rest of his team.

"Look," he said. "We can't do anything about not knowing or not being told now. Actually, this should prove to you how important it is to go to the planet."

"Indeed," Teal'c glanced across the table at me. "It is possible the same thing that happened to Dr. William Gerard will happen to Bridget Darrow."

I looked up suddenly. With all that had happened, this had not occurred to me.

"I think this is more of reason to stay from that planet," said Hammond a little testily.

"WHAT?" I demanded, leaning forward, amid the protests from SG-1.

"That planet could be very dangerous. I cannot allow you to go." Said Hammond

"General-" started Jack, but he was interrupted by Dr. Fraiser walking in.

"General Hammond?" She asked, standing on the staircase.

"Come in, Doctor," Hammond motioned to her.

"What is it?" I asked, a chill creeping up my spine.

"I'm afraid Dr. Gerard is dead," said Dr. Fraiser.

Hope you liked it!


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